In Windows 11, how do you change the default web browser?

It’s possible that you’ve noticed that after upgrading your PC from Windows 10 to Windows 11, any link you click on now takes you to Microsoft’s Edge browser instead of the one you were previously using. Microsoft appears to have gotten more forceful in promoting its own apps over the pre-upgrade defaults in its new version of Windows. To put it another way, Edge has taken over as your primary web browsing tool.

If you use a browser other than Edge for the first time — for instance, Google Chrome — that browser would normally ask you if you want to make it the default instead of Edge. However, Windows 11 has made it more difficult to change your default settings than Windows 10. As a result, you may not receive the helpful request — or, if you do, you may be redirected to a confusing page labelled “App > Default apps.” You can do it either way.

SWITCHING TO A DIFFERENT WEB BROWSER

If your favourite browser doesn’t offer to change your default browser, or if it does, but instead sends you to the “Default applications” page, here’s how to do it. (Google Chrome is the browser I’m using in this example, but it should work with anyone you install on your PC).

• Go to Settings. 
• From Apps scroll until see Default Apps then apply the settings. 
• Either scroll down to the “Set defaults for applications” section and select your chosen browser, or use the “Search apps” area to look for it. 
• Select the app from the drop-down menu that appears. You’ll see a list of files related to your browser, along with the app to which each item is currently assigned under its name. If you want to change your default browser on Windows 11, you can’t do it in a single click. You must change the default browser for each file type you work with.

Look for file extensions such as.HTM,.HTML, HTTP, HTTPS, and perhaps .PDF that have been assigned to Edge (unless you have a PDF reader you prefer). To make changes, simply click on the ones you’d like to alter.

If you get a “Before you switch” pop-up encouraging you to use Microsoft Edge, just click “Switch anyway.” An alert will appear with the option to “Keep using this app” and your other installed browsers beneath it. Decide the one you want to use and go ahead and select it. There are some file types for which your browser will not provide an alternative.)

Depending on when you read this, some browsers may have implemented a system that makes it easier to switch between tabs. When I first launched Firefox after reading this, it asked if I wanted it to be my default browser. The default browser for .HTM, .HTML, .HTTP, and .HTTPS files was now Firefox, so I let it go on with the installation. When it came to file types like PDF and SVG, Edge was still labelled as a supported browser for those extensions.

If you open Edge at all, you’ll see the typical pop-up pushing you to go back to the “preferred browser settings.”

That Not All! 

Just one more thing, though. Even if you change your default browser to something other than Edge, many Windows apps will still use Edge as their preferred browser. Bring up Windows 11’s new Widget pane, for example, and click on one of the news items that display there. The link will open Edge in Edge, instead of the traditional Windows 10 browser.

It’s possible there’s an app out there for people who find it infuriating. Edge-specific links can only be opened by doing the following steps:

• Again, open Settings. Next “Apps” then “Default Apps” in the menu bar on the top of the screen.
• Choose “Defaults by link type” by scrolling down to the bottom of the page. Then, in the “Set defaults for link types” search box, put “Edge.” You’ll find “Microsoft Edge” under the “Microsoft Edge” title. Once you do, you’ll be presented with a list of alternate browsers you can use to access the specialised links.

There aren’t any options for Chrome or Firefox when you install them. The Brave browser will appear as an option in the Widget pane after installation, and clicking on a news link in there will launch Brave instead.

The Brave browser has an option to open widget links by default.

The Brave browser has an option to open widget links by default.

When using EdgeDeflector, you may intercept any URLs in Windows 10 that are Edge-specific on the fly and rewrite them so they can be opened by the normal web browser, such as Internet Explorer. According to what I found while browsing, v1.2.3.0 is compatible with Windows 11. Once you’ve installed it and set it up according to the instructions it should work for the most part. 

If after reading you have challenges, do share in the comments below. You’d get the help needed.